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Class c 







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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



ARIZONA 
SUNSHINE 



Bv ftlvin K. Stabler 



MfcNell Co. 
Phoenix, Rrlzono 












Copyright 1915 
By ALVIN K. STABLER 



NOV 23 1915 
^CU416528 



*3 



(Err all Infers rrf 
this itrrrrk is iu?iticRt^i> 



PROEM 

OH would I were a poet, grand, 
An artist, sculptor — all in one — 
\nd maker, too, of songs sublime. 
And one who could with magic touch 
Weave sounds into transporting melodies ! 
Oh. if I had the noblest powers 
That ever thrilled in humankind 
And made men's eyes in frenzy roll, 
I could in this great Southwest land 
Find themes and inspirations, bold. 
And worthy of them all. 

Phoenix, Arizona. A. K. S. 

November, 1915. 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Proem » 1 

A Fiddler 1 

Our Creed 2 

An Awful Dream 3 

A Safe Prison 4 

An Old-Timer's Lament 5 

Hot-Air Artists 7 

Life, Real Life 9 

The Arizona Spirit If 

When the Springtime Comes A-laughin' 11 

The Devil in Arizona 13 

The Placket 16 

Appreciation 19 

Phoenix 21 

A Reverie 23 

An Arizona Appetite 26 

The Old Woman in a Shanty 27 

The Hassayampa 29 

It Is Unusual 30 

Uncle David 31 

Our Women Law-Makers 34 

Cold Feet 30 

Optimism 38 

Let Us Ope Your Eyes 39 

Tucson 40 

Too Old for Christmas 42 

When Uncle William Swore 43 

Be Still, O Heart 47 

Eyes and [lees 50 

The Mirage 51 

Arizony, a Queer Place 53 

Love's Dream Shattered 55 

He Daunted Not 57 

Silver Linings 58 

The Cantaloupe Herder 60 

Only Once in a Lifetime 62 

The Valley of the Salt 63 

Why 3 65 

You Laughed at Us 66 

The Good Old Days 68 

The Sunset 70 

vii 



CONTEXTS— Continued. 

A Cold Heart 71 

Room! Room! 11 

Laws of the Southwest 74 

The Colonel 75 

Tempe 7S 

Salt River Valley 79 

Keeping Awake in Church 80 

Prescott 83 

What Makes Arizona Famous 84 

Sky Trails 85 

Winter in the Southwest 86 

The Typists 88 

Overdrawn 89 

Over the Range 90 

Renown 92 

The Round-up 93 

The Squaw-Alan 94 



faizxtmt ^umkint 



A FIDDLER 

AN old-time fiddler once was called 
f\ A player of a violin ; 
Surprised was he to be thus called, 

And then— he thought in fun they'd been. 

"Please do not call me that," he said, 
"Unless you mean it as a riddle ; 

I cannot play a violin, 
I merely play a fiddle." 

And, in a way, I feel the same, 

Though I do not indulge the thought 

That anyone will be misled 

To call these poems which I've wrought. 

They may, however, safely be 

Called "pomes" or something littler ; 

I cannot play a Muse's harp, 
I'm nothing but a fiddler. 

But if my fiddling brings a smile 

To any face, or drives a care 
From any heart, then I shall feel 

I have a crown that's rich and rare. 



ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



OUR CREED 

WE believe in Arizona ; 
We believe her future's bright; 
We believe she's headed straightway 
From the darkness toward the light. 

We believe in her resources. 

In her mountains, in her plains, 

In her timber, rivers, pastures, 
In her climate, — all she claims. 

We believe in Arizona's 

Men and women, boys and girls ; 
They possess the faith and outlook 

That moves mountains, conquers worlds. 

They possess the brain and sinew 
For the work that must be done 

To build up an empire mighty, 
With a place that's in the sun. 



AN AWFUL DREAM 



AN AWFUL DREAM 

I dreamed an awful dream last night ; 
It makes me shiver even now ; 
Indeed, my heart almost stands still, 
And cold sweat breaks upon my brow. 

It was no dream of foulest crime 
That sent me to a felon's cell, 

Nor loss of wealth nor accident 

Like falling down a deep, dark well. 

It was not sickness or hard death. 

"Then what? Oh, what could it have 
been 
To drive you to such frenzy now, 

And set you trembling in each limb?" 

No, none of these. Far worse, far worse ! 

Twas living death, to say the least, 
To one of Arizona's sons — 

I dreamed I had to move back East. 



ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



A SAFE PRISON 

IN Arizona's early days. 
When men grew bold, and made merry, 
They were not sentenced to the jail — 
Their sentence read, — "The Cemetery." 

And it is said (I think it's true) 

That from this prison, grim and cold, 

There never has been one escape, 
There never has been one paroled. 



AN OLD TIMER'S LAMENT 



AN OLD TIMER'S LAMENT 

WELL, well, 'tis come at last, at last! 
Old Arizony's met her fate. 
The Territory 's gone, done gone, 
And now we're nothin' but a state. 

A state ! Some people seem to think 

That livin' in a state will be 
Improvement over what we've had, 

But just you wait awhile and see. 

They'll be a-makin' up some laws 

Destructive of our liberties 
And rights that 's strictly personal — 

A lot of stuff that \s only fizz. 

First thing you '11 know the women '11 
Be wantin' fer to vote, I lay ; 

And then they '11 try to oust saloons, 
And take our games and guns away. 

A state 's not what 's cracked up to be ; 

A territory 's just the stuff, 
That is, the kind we used to have 

Back in the eighties. Little rough? 

Well, yes. But in them days we had 

Xo lookin' up one's pedigree, 
No questions asked, no nosin' round — 

We all went in society. 

The laws was made right on the spot 
To meet the needs of every case, 

And executed swift and just — 
No long delays for one to face. 

We used the graveyard for a jail. 

And none broke out when once put in. 

State laws and jails and courts and sech 
Ain't like it for preventin' sin. 



ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



I've seen it comin' many days, 

This statehood bizness and its train ; 

We've been a-apein' back East ways 
For years, with nothin' to our gain. 

'Twas well nigh thirty years ago 

I left the back East states. Why? Why, 
Just to get away from — from them 

Old fogy ways. That 's not a lie. 

A state 's not what 's cracked up to be; 

Old Arizony 's met her fate. 
The good old days are gone — they 're gone, 

I'll hunt a place more up to date. 



HOT AIR ARTISTS 



HOT-AIR ARTISTS 



'LI MATE, climate" is their boasting; 



CLIMATE, cli 
"Sunshine, 



sunshine ev'ry day ; 
Just one round of brilliant glory — " 
That is what they all will say. 

They will tell you there are millions 

In a small five-acre tract 
( )r a hole back in the mountains — 

All they need is to be backed. 

They have mines, too, that for riches 

Fairly stagger one's belief ; 
They have also some promoters 

Who bring tenderfeet to grief. 

Let me tell you as a father — 
Not as one who's finding fault — 

Listen to the things they tell you, 
But 'twill need a little salt. 

I have seen it rain like blazes, 

I've been chilled through to the bone, 

I have sweltered in the sunshine, 
Rut such things they will not own. 

I have seen some mines that turned out 

To be nothing more or less 
Than a hole that had been salted. 

And brought nothing but distress. 

Take it from your uncle Jimmy 

That they'll tell you things not true; 

But they'll tell it in a manner 

That would snare a Greek or lew. 



ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



They are artists, natural artists, 
When it comes to handling words ; 

They have tongues of magic smoothness- 
Smoother than the coo of birds. 

They are cunning, but they're harmless 
If you're only on your guard, 

But beware, beware, my brother, 
If they want you for a pard. 



LIFE! REAL LIFE! 



LIFE! REAL LIFE! 

WE live ! in Arizona, live ! 
And ev'ry hour's a royal treasure. 
We live outdoors 'neath sun-lit skies 
And breathe pure air; oh, what a 
pleasure ! 

Oh it's a joy just to exist ! 

When ev'ry fibre is a tingling 
With energy and strength and health 

In equal parts commingling. 

With ev'ry breath there comes new life, 
A life that thrills, a life magnetic, 

A life that surges in the heart, 

A life that bounds, a life prophetic — 

Prophetic of that life beyond, 

\\ here neither sickness nor dark sorrow 
Enters in to mar one's joy — 

That sun-lit land of God's Tomorrow. 

Oh, it is joy just to exist! 

Beneath these cloudless skies, unbroken 
To breathe this air and feel the thrill 

Of nature's forces in the open! 



10 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



THE ARIZONA SPIRIT 

SPIRIT of this great, new state! 
That broods o'er man and land. 
That's of the mountains, wild and wide, 
The desert, and the clear, blue dome above- 
Spirit of this great, new state ! 
Free and unhampered by the past, 
That looks the future in the face 
And grasps its possibilities — 

Spirit of this great, new state ! 
That bounds forth to its task, 
That conquers forces that oppose 
And makes them captive to its ends — 

Spirit of this great, new state! 
That dreams an empire just beyond. 
That dares and does and never halts 
At difficulties how'er great — 

Spirit of this great, new state! 
Rev'ling in the strength of youth 
And dreaming dreams of wealth, 
With ne'er a thought of failure — 
Spirit of this great, new state! 
Thy conquest ne'er will know defeat. 
The mountains, desert, and the streams 
Will bow to thee, their conqueror. 

And out of sands and barren hills 
Will rise an empire, worthy, great, 
Rich and commanding, and a joy — 
Spirit of this great, new state! 



WHEN THE SPRING TIME, ETC. 11 



WHEN THE SPRINGTIME COMES A 
LAUGHIN' 

WHEN the Springtime comes a-laughin' 
'Cross the valleys and the hills, 
An' old Winter goes a runnin' 
From the meadows an' the rills, 

Then I feel a mighty pullin', 

Yes, and callin' of the wild, 
And I jes drop work an' sech like, 

And go off an' be a child. 

Jes go off to some lone hillside, 

Where the sunshine strikes it square, 

And lie down and stretch out, stretch out, — 
Oh, that's livin', and to spare. 

Pull my hat down o'er my forehead, 

Wear it on my nose and chin. 
And lie still and grin and chuckle, 

While the sunshine's soakin' in. 

Listen to the soft wind's murmur 

In the branches of the 'trees; 
Smell the perfume of the wild flower 

And the clover in the breeze. 

Hear the chirrip of the birds and 

Also dronin' of the bees 
And the cacklin' of the farm hens 

And the quackin' of the geese. 

Jes lie still and let the sunshine 

Soak in, till a million miles 
Of it's been absorbed and relished, 

And my skin — it almost biles. 



12 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

Then turn over for 'the other 

Side to get its share — keep mum ! 

For when Springtime's sun is soakin' 
In you — say, that's livin' some. 

When the Springtime comes a-laughin' 

Over valley, over hill, 
I jes drop my work, an' go off; 

Satisfaction? To my fill ! 



THE DEVIL IN ARIZONA 13 



THE DEVIL IN ARIZONA 

THE Devil when cast out of heaven, 
Sought for himself another home ; 
The stellar worlds he first explored, 
He up and down these all did roam. 

On Neptune, Saturn, nor the rest 

Found he a spot exactly right 
For doing business in his line. 

Too cold were they. He chose no site. 

The sun he tried, but even it, 

Though darting flames of sulph'rous fire, 
He found too cool, indeed, too cold, 

To satisfy his raging ire. 

He then went forth on wing again 
And soared around about in space, 

Until at length his eye caught sight 
Of what he thought the very place. 

'Tvvas Arizona that he saw, 

And straightway to that spot he flew; 
He chuckled to himself with glee, 

As to the place he nearer drew. 

Twas early morning when he lit, 
And disappointment reigned supreme; 

He found a coolness and delighlt 

That made him fume, that made him 
scream. 

But by and by the sun came up ; 

It was the month of August, and 
The sky was clear, no cloud in sight 

To shelter man or beast or sand. 



14 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

"Oh, here's the place !" he said with vim, 
"That I've so long and fondly sought ; 

Oh, here's the place," he said again, 
"It's really hot, it's really hot. 

"Oh, how I'll make the sinners squirm ! 

When to this place the thousands come ; 
I'll make them simmer, stew, and fry ; 

Oh, won't that be a lot of fun?" 

'Twas early morning even yet 

When he went forth for a survey 

Of this, to him, a perfect land 
For doing business in his way. 

A scorpion crawled near his path 
With tail flung at the highest mast; 

"Oh, what is this?" the Devil said, 
And firmly took it in his grasp. 

The scorpion then got in its work, 

And Mr. Devil gave a yell 
That shook the mountains and the earth — 

'Twas heard from heaven unto — well? 

In agony he made a leap 

To get away from such a tail, 
And down he came all in a lump 

Upon a cactus bed. A gale — 

A storm of cuss-words he let fly, 
And made another mighty leap. 

Alas, alas, the cat-claw now 

Hooked in his hide, and then mesquite. 

He raged, he swore, he tore like mad, 
He frothed and fumed and squealed. 

A centipede now touched his flesh, 
And from the bone it quickly peeled. 



THE DEVIL IN ARIZONA 15 

A rattlesnake next took a turn, 

And when they all had gotten through, 

Old Nick was feeling sick and sad, 
And he was black and mighty blue. 

All this took place 'fore nine o'clock ; 

At twelve, the sun was at full blast ; 
At one, his hair began to singe ; 

At three, he knew he could not last. 

He turned his tail upon the place, 

And spread his wings for rapid flight ; 

He disappeared from view at once, 
And it was yet long until night. 

Of Arizona he'd enough ; 

Up and away he went pell mell ; 
For even him it was too much. 

That's why he organized in hell. 

Such was the thought in former days, 
Such were the stories that were told, 

But since the facts have come to light, 
Traducers are not quite so bold. 

The facts reveal that man and beast 

And Devil, too, for all of that, 
Live here in comfort ev'ry day. 

And roll in luxury and fat. 



16 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



THE PLACKET 

HOW dear to my heart are those days 
of my childhood 
Which fond recollection presents to my 

view, 
Those days without care and those days full 

of pleasure, 
When dresses were short and not cut in two. 
But now that I'm grown, and must dress 

like a woman, 
I've scarcely a moment that's not full of 

dread 
And tortures like nightmares, and all on 

account of 
My pesky old placket. I fear that has 

spread — 

A wide-open placket, a wild-glaring placket, 
A tormenting placket, I fear that has spread. 

Prometheus, with vultures attacking his 

vitals, 
Nor martyrs that lit up the city of Rome, 
Ne'er suffered the torment that women do 

daily 
Whene'er they go out from the confines of 

home. 
If into the temple I go to my worship. 
I'm haunted by fiends that drive worship 

away ; 
They w.hisper, "your placket" (that's where 

I can't see it) 
"Might gap if you bow," therefore I can't 

pray— 

A wide-open placket, a wild-glaring placket, 
A tormenting placket, therefore I can't pray. 



THE PLACKET 17 

Or, if to the city I go on a street car — 
Those cars which have seats with their end 

to the wall 
And backs made of spindles, — a horrid 

idea — 
(I hope the inventor wears plackets, that's 

all) 
I feel of my placket as soon as I'm seated, 
And though it feels proper, I ever recall 
That maybe I felt of a plait for the placket, 
And grinning it is in the full gaze of all — 

A wide-open placket, a wild-glaring placket, 
A tormenting placket, in full gaze of all. 

If women, a hundred, assemble together, 
And everyone's placket's all right except 

one, 
The ninety and nine that are safe in the 

folding 
Will feel of their plackets as quick as a 

gun. 
The sight of a placket that's not in right 

order 
Will strike consternation throughout a great 

crowd. 
And drive from their minds the last vestige 

of pleasure 
Until it's corrected — what pain to the proud ! 

A wide-open placket, a wild-glaring placket. 
A tormenting placket — what pain to the 
proud ! 

I've buttoned it, hooked it, and pinned it 

together, 
And made it secure as a burglar proof bank, 
But only to find it, when least I expected, 
With jaws standing open, and teeth gleam- 
ing rank. 
I've heard of a crown that belongs to the 
'flicted. 



IS ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

I've heard of a robe that belongs to them, 

too, 
And happy it makes me to know that it's 

perfect, 
That means, without placket — I'll win it, 

won't you? 

No wide-open plackelt, no wild-glaring 

placket, 
No tormenting placket — I'll win it, won't 

you? 



APPRECIATION 19 



APPRECIATION 



'J3REATHES there a man with soul so 
LD dead, 

Who never to himself hath said :" 
Thank God ! our fathers, mighty men. 
Bearded the Desert in his den, 
And wrested from his deadly grip 
These acres, broad, this lovely strip? 
Thank God ! these men, a brave, true lot — 
Men with a will and a coffee pdt, 
Ne'er failed nor faltered till they saw 
The cactus gone and the Desert's paw. 



"Breathes there a man with soul so dead. 

Who never to himself hath said :" 

Thank God ! I've lived myself, to be 

In Phoenix, Mesa, or Tempe? 

Thank God ! the Fates have cast my lot 

In tli is oasis, beauty fraught? 

Thank God for its fertility. 

Soft winds and stern hostility 

To the White Plague and other ills. 

To doses, nostrums and bad pills? 



"Breathes there a man with soul so dead. 

Who never to himself hath said :" 

Thank God ! there's such a spot — a ground 

Which Winter never yet has found, 

But where sweet Summer reigns supreme 

The whole year through — delightful queen? 

Thank God ! when others shiver, freeze, 

Our roses bloom ; birds fill our trees ; 

And oranges and grape-fruit, fair. 

Hang, balls of gold; perfume the air! 



20 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

"Breathes there a man with soul so dead, 
Who never to himself hath said :" 
Thank God ! our good old Uncle Sam 
Has built for us the Tonto dam, 
And driven grim old Doubt away, 
And sent Good Cheer with us to play? 
Thank God ! the future is secure, 
Good crops and health and wealth are sure ; 
And ere a few short years have flown, 
A Paradise will be our home ! 



PHOENIX 21 



PHOENIX 

PHOENIX the beautiful, 
Phoenix the golden ; 
City of palm trees and 
Flowers. Behold them! 

Phoenix, with magical 
Growth and devotion ; 

Queen of the desert 

'Tween ocean and ocean. 

Phoenix, O Phoenix ! 

Oh what's 'thy attraction 
That doubles thy numbers 

With lightning-like action? 

What genius resides there? 

What fairies preside? 
What wizard bewitches 

The whole countryside? 

Scarce one who stops over, 

If but for an hour, 
Who does not fall victim 

To Phoenix' strange power. 

Perhaps he moves onward, 

But only to say, 
"I expect to return soon, 

And then I will stay." 

O Phoenix, O Phoenix, 
Thy charm is compelling, 

Magnetic, resistless, 
Indeed, overwhelming! 

Thy spirit's enchanting, 

Thy people are fine, 
Thy hopes and ideals 

Thrill like a rich wine. 



22 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

O city, bedecked by 

Thy millions of flowers ! 
No season's without them, 

Perfumed are all hours. 

Adorned by thy shade trees 

And 'top-lofty palms , 
A spirit broods o'er all, 

That sooths and becalms. 

Embraced by the mountains, 
O'er-arched by those skies 

That rarely dim sunlight 
Or close the night's eyes — 

Be-fanned by a south wind, 

That's gentle and mild 
And soft and bewitching's 

The coo of a child — 

This mystical dreamland, 

This Vale of Tempe, 
This Garden of Allah, 

Calls ever to me. 



A REVERIE 



A REVERIE 

"That there is any real popular demand 
throughout the country for Arizona and New 
Mexico to come and help govern the nation 
at large we do not for an instant believe. 

* * * :i: * * * >); 

We have not seen any cogent argument 
to show that the people of New Mexico and 
Arizona will greatly benefit the nation as a 
whole by helping to govern it." 

— The July Outlook. 



SO Arizony's quite unfit 
To set among the sovereign states 
And help to make the laws, by gum, 

Like them down East, them heavyweights. 

No "cogent argument," says they's, 
Been seen to show that we out here 

Will any great advantage be 

In helpin' govern — that's quite clear. 

Our people hain't as yet showed that 
They'll be much credit to the rest, 

But sence God made us, probably 
They'll let us in, although a pest. 

Now that they've brung it to my mind, 

I see it's been a huge mistake, 
For us who're lowly, weak — aye vile ! 

Into such company to break. 

'Twere better, yes, 'twere better far 
That we had lost, and wept and pined ; 

Humiliating it will be 

To see how far we are behind. 



24 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

We hain't no reputation for to boast, 

Nor goodness nor ability, 
And low, it's low we'll hang our heads 

When we in Congress get to be. 

Yes, low with shame we'll hang our heads 
In presence of them holy states 

That's been there, lo, these many years — 
That's pure and true like;/ Golden Gates. 

There's Old New York, with Tammany 
And Albany — them spotless seers! 

We'll hang our heads when down by her 
We sit. Yes, yes, shed bitter tears. 

And there is Pensylvany, too. 
So rich in goodness — known world-wide ; 
We haint got no sech Capitol, 
A thing of beauty, thing of pride. 

And, then, there's also Illinoy, 

The grand old state of Honest Abe ; 

No bribe can tempt her noble sons ; 
Her officers are purely made. 

But what's the use to name them all, 
Them good old stages whose character's 

Been proved and tested by long years? 
Small wonder that sech fair actors 

Should feel themselves chagrined, disgraced, 
And gather up their holy skirts 

At thought of one among them come 

Dressed up in chaps and guns and quirts. 

It were far better, I am sure, 

Had Arizony but remained 
Outside the sisterhood of states, 

A land of outlaws, justly famed. 



A REVERIE 25 

For when we go to that big meet 
Up there in good old Washington 

And set among the other states, 
We'll feel unworthy, so undone ! 

We'll be so overpowered by them, 
Their full-grown wings, their righteous 
mein. 

That we'll just slink away and die, 

Or smite ourselves, and cry, "unclean." 

It were far better, better far! 

To've kept within our lowly place 
Than suffer by comparison 

With them great ones who're full of grace. 



26 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



AN ARIZONA APPETITE 

SOME sing the praises of the man 
Who first invented sleep ; 
Some sing of heroes and of war 
That make the millions weep. 

But I sing praises of the man, — 

And it's a pure delight — 
I sing of the inventor of 

A good sharp appetite. 

Away with gold, away with lands, 

With fame and honor, bright ; 
Just give to me, and let it stay, 

A good sharp appetite. 

An appetite ! An appetite ! 

That thing that seasons food 
And makes the last bite of a meal 

Just like the first, as good. 

That thing that leads you on and on 

To stuff and stuff and stuff 
Until you're full as you can hold, 

And yet "hain't" had enough. 

"No room ! No room !" dyspeptics cry, 

Before most tempting food, 
Or, "It will hurt me in the pit." 

As if by diels pursued. 

"More room ! More room !" cries he who has 

A good, sharp appetite, 
"I'm proof 'gainst pies and cakes and all 

This riding mares at night." 



AN OLD WOMAN IN A SHANTY 27 



AN OLD WOMAN IX A SHANTY 

THERE was an old woman 
Who lived in a shanty; 
Her clothing was worn and 
Her food was quite scanty. 

She lived with a kitten, 

With white, fleecy coat, 
And with her dear Billy, 

Which was her old goat. 

There was an old man, and 

He lived in a cabin 
Not far from the shanty 

Where things will soon happen. 

He lived with a dog, that 

Was black as could be ; 
And wooly and curly 

And shaggy was he. 

One day the man's doggie 
Gave chase to the kitten 

And scared it 'most crazy, 
Although 'twas not bitten. 

The woman was angry, 

And ran for her pot 
( )f boiling hot water, 

And spared the dog not. 

He ran away yelping 

And screaming and howling 

Straight to the old cabin — 
This set the man scowling. 

Indeed, he 'gan cussing. 

And straightway made tracks 

To the little old shanty 
To stop such attacks. 



28 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

The little old woman 

Was soothing her kitty 
And nursing her wrath. 

Though crooning a ditty. 

""You scalded my doggie," 
Snapped out the old man, 

"I wish I had killed him. 
And will when I can," 

Thus shouted the woman. 

"He chased my pet kitten 
And scared her that badly 

That near brought a fit on." 

Just 'round the back corner 

Stood Billy the goat. 
With eye winking slyly. 

Then sounding a note 

Of help for his mistress. 

He bounded away. 
And 'fore the man knew it, 

Was into the fray. 

He caught the man squarely 

Just back of the hips 
And raised him clear over 

The paling fence tips. 

The little old woman 

Laughed roundly and loudly, 

And R illy— he strutted 
Around, oh, so proudly! 

The little old man then, 

Regaining his feet, 
Walked away madly — 

He'd suffered defeat. 

The dog nor his master 

Again sought the shanty 
To sport with the kitten 

Or argue with Aunty. 



THE HASSAYAMPA 29 



THE HASSAYAMPA 

STRANGER, stranger, have a care ! 
Let me now a tale unravel 
That is strange, but worth the time 
If you value truth or travel. 

Drink not of the Hassayampa 

Though of thirst you almost perish, 

Though its waters are inviting, 
Though your good it seems to 
cherish. 

Hassayampa's charged with magic ; 

'Twill transfer you in a moment 
From a trav'ler to a settler, 

And your morals it will foment. 

They who drink of its strange waters, 
rJe they women, be they men, 

Never from the state will wander, 
Nor the truth will tell again. 

So its said by a tradition 

That is hory with long years. 

And it's never been disproven 
By the sages or the seers. 



30 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



IT IS UNUSUAL 

IF it rains or if it snows, 
It's unusual. 
If it's calm or if it blows, 
It's unusual. 

If the frost makes short a crop 

It's unusual. 
If the prices take a drop. 

It's unusual. 

If mosquitoes do you pester. 

It's unusual. 
If there sweeps a sharp Nor' wester, 

It's unusual. 

If a man dies nature's way, 

It's unusual. 
If diseases any slay, 

It's unusual. 

If. in fact, there's anything 
That opposes or molests you, 

If you have a pain, by jing! 
It's unusual. 



UNCLE DAVID 31 



UNCLE DAVID 



UNCLE David was a pillar 
In the Shiloh M. E. Church. 
Which stood at the Falls Creek cross roads 
'Neath a bower of oak and birch. 

Grim and silent, stood old Shiloh ; 

Day or night 'twas jus>t the same. 
'Cept on Sunday ev'ry two weeks 

When the Circuit-Rider came. 

Uncle David was a pillar; 

He was also widely known 
As the church's foremost sleeper — 

Lmexcelled by anyone. 

Let the preacher be as noisy 

As could be, or let him weep. 
Uncle David, without failure 

Always dropped off into sleep. 

Backward, backward fell his bald head 

Until it could fall no more, 
Then he'd rest in blissful worship 

'Till he 'gan to wheeze and snore. 

Then some brother sitting near him 
Quietly would nudge his arm. 

And our dear old Uncle David 
Would awake without alarm. 

But the youngsters of the parish, 

Always looking for some fun, 
Winked and snickered at each other 

When they saw "it coming on." 



32 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

Sometimes Uncle David hastened 

To his nap. He couldn't wait 
Till the sermon had begun, for 

It was sometimes very late. 

So when they got down for prayer, 
He would doze off, and would stay 

Down upon his knees in slumber 
Till a song had right of way. 

Then he'd sneak up sheepishly, 

And he'd settle in his pew, 
And the youngsters nearly busted, 

Being tickled through and through. 

But the climax came unlooked for, 

In a way we'll not forget; 
It was thought 'twould stop the sleeping, 

But not so — he's at it yet. 

'Twas upon a Sunday morning, 

And the day was sultry, hot, 
That an urchin, Johnny Wilbur, 

Had a bold, inspiring thought. 

Just behind good Uncle David, 
Johnny took his seat in church, 

And he waited with much patience 
For old Uncle's head to lurch. 

Backward, backward slowly came it — 

Just a little at a time — 
Till his face was turned toward heaven, 

And his breathing 'gan to rhyme. 

Then his mouth spread open widely, 
And he snored just one soft note, 

When young Johnny, reaching forward, 
Dropped a buckshot down his throat. 



UNCLE DAVID 33 

Uncle David choked and snorted, 
Strangled, sputtered, and leaped up 

Clawing at the air, and gasping, 
''Water! Water! Bring a cup !" 

Well, the upshot of the matter 
Was that when he'd had a sup, 

Consternation ran so highly 
That it broke the meeting up. 

But 'twas not the end for Johnny; 

Johnny's father the next day 
Played a part out in the woodshed — 

"Played it well," so people say. 

In the woodshed on that next day, 

Johnny says that what he got 
Showed him plainly it's not wisdom 

For a boy to have buckshot. 



34 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



OUR WOMEN LAW-MAKERS 

I'VE just been to the Capitol 
And seen the legislature set ; 
A finer looking lot than they 
I never anywhere have met. 

They might have come from Washington, 
They might have come from ancient Rome, 

Such is their strength and dignity 
And interest in state and home. 

They had an air of business 

And settled to their work with vim ; 

Just like old hands they went at it, 
And confidence marked her and him. 

Did I say, "her?" yes, "her," by gad! 

There is a her in either house, 
And you may rest assured, you may, 

They're not afraid of man or mouse. 

And since I've come to think of it, 

I see the hand of Providence 
A-steering Straight the ship of state 

To save it from predicaments. 

For what would happen if both hers 
Had been elected to one house? 

Hush ! Drop the curtain ! Out the lights ! 
Go scratch on wood — on olive boughs. 

How wise and good is Providence ! 

How thoughtful and how kind ! 
Let all in reverence bow down 

And worship humbly at His shrine. 

But, by the way, with them apart — 

One in the south hall, one in the north, — 

They'll add much grace and dignity 
And honor to our state henceforth. 



OUR WOMEN LAW MAKERS 35 

All hail to these, our first females, 

Who've sat within our honored halls ! 

Take off your hats to them, forsooth 
They are not freaks, they are not dolls, 

They're women of the finest type, 
They've brains, acumen, and ideals; 

They'll stand for all that's true and best ; 
Thus they impress one, thus one feels. 

We welcome you, our sisters, fair, 

We talked and worked to get the votes 

To give you equal privileges, 

To loose your shackles, break your yokes. 

Who's who in Arizona now? 

The men are merely men, not more; 
The women press them hard for place ; 

The reign of man as lord is o'er. 



36 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



COLD FEET 

IT was in the warmth of summer, 
In the lovely month of June 
That we married, and were happy ; 
O'er each other we did croon. 

Gently, sweetly flowed life's river ; 

Lovely flowers lined the shore ; 
It was heavenly, bliss seraphic, 

And we wished for nothing - more. 

Then the summer changed to autumn, 
And the winter followed soon, 

But the warmth of our blest friendship 
Did not wane, it did not swoon. 

Many months we lived together; 

Never once an icy blast 
Swept across our happy pathway, 

And we knew our joy would last. 

But alas ! there came a moment 
When the sun dropped from the sky, 

And my heart almost ceased beating — 
Broken was our lovely tie. 

'Twas a night of bitter coldness, 
And my business kept me late 

At my office working, working. 
Never dreaming of my fate. 

(hilled I was in bone and marrow. 
Shivered, as I homeward sped, 

Still my heart was beating gladly, 
Thinking of a nice warm bed. 

She was sleeping, oh so soundly ! 

And I softly crept to bed ; 
Easy was I with the covers, 

But she slept as one who's dead. 



COLD FEET 37 

All went well for a few minutes ; 

I was snug and getting warm, 
But without a moment's warning 

Broke then forth a mighty storm. 

Upward went the bed's thick covers ; 

Out went I from my retreat, 
Kicked and battered and surprised — 

I had touched her with cold feet. 

Holy Moses and Saint Patrick, 

All the Saint's and angels too! 
In a moment, in a jiffy 

She became a fighting shrew. 

In the main she is quite gentle, 
A lovely creature, hard to beat, 

But beware ! She is a vixen 
If you touch her with cold feet. 



38 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



OPTIMISM 

IT'S a joy 'to see a Spirit 
That sees brightness all about, 
That believes the future's laden 
With life's good, and has no doubt 

That reward will come from labor, 
And it pays to forge ahead; 
That just out there in the morrow 
Lies the goal to which it's wed. 

To a Spirit of that order, 

God and Angels and the Earth 

Open wide their richest store-house 
And give freely of 'their worth. 



LET US OPE YOUR EYES 39 



M 



LET US OPE YOUR EYES 



AN of the world, anywhere, 
Who thinks he lives in Paradise, 



Just come to Arizona please. 
And let us ope your eyes. 

You think we have naught else out here 
But sand and boundless skies; 

Just spend a day or two with us. 
And we will ope your eyes. 

You think this land's for rattlesnakes, 

Tarantulas, and flies? 
You'll see how far you're from the mark 

When we have oped your eyes. 

We've mines and herds and forests, broad, 

And farmland, rich as lies 
Beneath the sun. And much besides 

To open wide your eyes. 

We've a society that's choice. 

We've men who're worldly-wise, 
They'll meet you on your chosen ground 

And open up your eyes. 

Perhaps you think that we're too small 

To mingle with your size; 
Well, try to skin us if you want, 

And we will ope your eyes. 

Man of the world, anywhere, 
We have earth's choicest prize; 

Come let us show you, will you not? 
And we will ope your eyes. 



40 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



TUCSON 

TUCSON is endowed by Heaven 
With a sunshine and an air 
Unexcelled for red-blood building 
On the footstool anywhere. 

Ev'ry day pours out its riches, 
Ev'ry night adds more and more 

Till good health's exhiliration 
Throbs in every cell and pore. 

Tucson is old Nature's storehouse, 
From which she dispenses health 

To all comers, hourly, freely, 
Be they poor or men of wealth. 

Sheltered from the north wind's terror 
By the mountain's mighty wall — 

Open to the south winds, gentle. 
Winters are like early fall. 

Sun-lit days and skies of azure 
Lure one to the out-of-doors 

Where old Nature's healing potion 
She so lavishly out-pours. 

Oh ! the hundreds and the thousands 
Who have found here life and joy ! 

Gone's that weary, weary feeling, 
Gone's all tha't which doth annoy. 

How the days flow gaily onward ! 

How the heart sings a new song 
Ev'ry morning, ev'ry ev'ning — 

All the time — the whole day long! 



TUCSON <U 

Oh, the virtues of old Tucson ! 

She's tucked close to Nature's heart 
As she nestles in the desert — 

Master of the healing art ! 

Gloats not here the Grim Old Reaper : 

Rusty, broken, lies his scythe ; 
Here Death's harvest does not ripen; 

Here the White Plague does not thrive. 



42 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



TOO OLD FOR CHRISTMAS 

WELL, yes, I s'pose it had to come ; 
We couldn't keep them young forever, 
But it's a loss when they "find out," 
For Christmas comes again, no never. 

It used 'to be at Christmastime, 

That we would work and hide for keeping, 
And listen — how our hearts stood still 

At sounds up stairs where they were 
sleeping! 

Quick as a flash, out went the light, 
And into things I went a-prying, 

While mother, with her apron full, 
vStood ready at the door for flying. 

We walked 'tip-toe, we talked quite low, 
And burned the midnight oil unsparing. 

But that was life, yes, that was life. 
For Santa Clans to be preparing. 

But now — well now, it isn't as 

It used to be when they were younger, 

And mystery hung over all — 
I wish it were. I have a hunger 

For nights of vigilance and s ! tealth. 

For days of fond anticipation, 
And then the crown of all our plans, 

That sweet surprise — blest consumation ! 

It hardly seems like Christmastime, 
To buy our gifts and give outright. 

And not expecting Santa Claus — 
It's not the same — no>t by a sight. 



WHEN UNCLE WILLIAM SWORE 43 



WHEN UNCLE WILLIAM SWORE 

UNCLE William and his wife 
Had lived together forty years. 
With ne'er a harsh word or quarrel 
To cause a flow of bitter tears. 

At peace with all the world was he, 
With animals and man and God : 

His even temper was remarked 
Whenever he his pathway trod. 

The Ten Commandments he kept true, 
And all Christ's teachings he observed ; 

A mighty man at prayer was he ; 
His life from duty never swerved. 

His patience, it was always calm, 
Though sometimes put to acid test ; 

Whatever happened, he would say, 

"God knoweth best, God knoweth best!" 

He'd suffered losses, he'd been sick, 
And pain had racked him hard and fast ; 

His trusted friends had proved him false, 
And sorrow o'er him shadows cast. 

But Uncle William bore it all 

With calmness and with fortitude ; 

Unruffled was he to the last, 

For he had faith, and he was good. 

He was a ballast to his friends 

When they were tempest-tossed and mad; 
And many were his neighbors round, 

Whom he had saved from going bad. 



44 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

Alas ! Alas ! how frail is man ! 

How quickly marred is beauty's face ! 
How after years of steadfast faith, 

A good man sometimes falls from grace I 

Uncle William had a son, 

Who'd lived in Arizona long; 
He'd written Uncle William oft, 

In prose and highly rapt'rous song. 

He'd sung the praises of the state, 
He'd boosted it up to the skies, 

He'd told of all that makes it great, 
Of how it's God's last, greatest prize.. 

Especially had he dwelt on 

Its cloudless days, its lack of rain, 

Its sandy soil, and no such mud 
As that in Uncle William's lane. 

Now, Uncle William fell for this, 

And after many years of nice, 
Alluring tales, he said one day, 

"I'll visit this Great Paradise." 

He'd tramped through mud up to his knees 
For, lo, these many, many years ; 

He'd fed his stock in rain and snow, 
And dug out mired-down steers. 

He thought he'd like to see a place 
Where "umberells" and slop and slush 

Were out of fashion for a while — 

Where roads and walks were not a mush. 

So he and Mary Jane, his wife, 

Like children with a new gained toy, 

Made ready for their trip abroad 
With great hilarity and joy. 



WHEN UNCLE WILLIAM SWORE 45 

Well, Uncle William and his wife 

Arrived upon the very day 
The "Long Rain" of the year fourteen 

Set in and settled down to stay. 

It rained, it drizzled, and it poured, 
And then it rained and drizzled more. 

And then it poured and rained again 
For one day, two days, three days, four. 

Now, Uncle William's son's house stood 

Upon adobe soil. And all 
Who know what "dobey" soil is like 

Will have small wonder at his fall. 

Religion, habit, nor aught else 
Can stand the strain of dobey soil ; 

When it is wet clear 'through and through, 
The troubled waters need much oil. 

It is the stickiest stuff on earth; 

It is the slipperiest known to man; 
It makes the deepest mud e'er seen, 

From Be-ersheba unto Dan. 

The first day that >the Long Rain fell, 
To Uncle William 'twas a joke ; 

And with a twinkling eye, he said, 
"Your gears or something must have 
broke." 

The second day, he looked askance ; 

The twinkle in his eye was gone, 
And disappointment took its place — 

A light upon him 'gan to dawn. 

The third day, he was out of sorts ; 

He felt that he had been deceived ; 
That all this talk about sunshine 

Was buncombe, rot, and he was peeved. 



46 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

The fourth day, he was good and mad, 
Mad through his whole two hundred 
pounds ; 

He'd traveled many a weary mile 
Just to escape what here he found. 

'Twas rain and mud and mud and rain, 
Just slop and slush and slush and slop r 

With not a sign seen anywhere 
That it would ever, ever stop. 

it was the last day of the rain. 
That Uncle William fell from grace, 

And caused him, for the shame of it, 
To hang his head and hide his face. 

Penned up he'd been for four long days 
Within the walls of his son's house. 

Then came a little glint of light, 

And so he thought he'd walk about. 

But when his feet touched dobey soil, 
They straightway sped toward heaven, 

And down came his two hundred pounds 
And sunk in mud to inches seven. 

Great was the fall of him that day ; 

His head struck first, and then his ham : 
His pure and pent-up soul gave way. 

And he yelled out, "By d ! by d !" 



BE STILL! O HEART! 47 



BE STILL, O HEART! 

BE still, O heart, it cannot be ; 
Those days long past are gone — are 
gone; 
But recollection is at work — 

Be still ! — it broodeth like the dawn. 

Behold the first dim rays of light 
Of fancy hov'ring o'er the past ! 

Behold the outlines, dull as yet, 
Of other days as they take cast ! 

Be still, for soon they'll clearer grow, 
And stand out boldly, bright, and fair, 

And you shall see, and mingle with 
Them as of old when free from care. 

Oh yes, 'tis true, I see ! I see ! 

'Tis not unlike the break of day ; 
The past is coming back again, 

And I am living far away. 

I see the hills and hear the birds 
Sing gaily in the forest trees ; 

I see the meadow and the creek ; 
I hear it ripple, and on knees 

I stoop and drink beneath the shade. 

And now I feel the shivers, cold, 
Run up and down as I dive in 

The swimming-hole. 'Tis joy untold ! 

And now 'tis butch'ring time again ; 

I rise up early. Whew ! its cold ! 
I hear a shot, I hear a squeal, — 

Our winter's meat's dragged from the 
fold. 



48 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

The kettle's hanging from a pole, 
The wood fire leaps about it high, 

A gust of wind takes hold the smoke, 
And whisks it smarting in my eye. 

And there's the apple butter crock, 
Chock-full, clear up unto the brim; 

Tis good old cider butter, black — 
Oh, how it puts a boy in trim 

When spread upon a slice of bread 
As broad as any man's two hands, 

So thick, yes thick, that when bit through. 
Up one's mouth and nose it stands. 

And now 1 hear the popping corn 
Within a deep iron dinner pot, 

And butter sizzling in its depth — 
Ah, it is fresh and crisp and hot ! 

I eat a handful, now a quart. 
And now a gallon, more or less. 

But, with it all, no 'taste is lost — 
Don't stop for that, but for distress. 

The last's as good as the first bite, 
To stop is like some awful doom, 

lint facts are facts, and must be told — 
T stop because I lack the room. 

Ah, what is this that now I see? 

It is the schoolhouse on the hill. 
And there is Lucy, Mary, Jane, 

And there is Jim and Sam and Bill. 

But wait ! — the schoolhouse slowly fades 
Away, and in its stead's the church ; 

And Jim and Mary and the rest — 

(On face and clothing not a smirch) 



BE STILL! O HEART! 49 

Dissolve, a part the shifting scene. 

The playground, too, shares a like fate. 
And reappears the churchyard now. 

With sombre headstones and a date. 

I hear the dropping- of the clods. 

I feel the hot tears slowly run, 
I shrink away, with terror, struck. 

I'll miss them, miss them, every one. 

Be still, < ) heart, those days are gone. 

The present is thy field to till ; 
"fis but a fancy brings them forth. 

Be still. O heart, be still! Be still! 

Well, — let them go. It may be best 

One's present duties to fulfill. 
But, when one's old and all alone — 

Be still, O heart, be still! Be still! 



50 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



EYES AND BEES 

OH those beautiful, beautiful eyes ! 
They were large and bright and clear ; 
Enough of witchery in 'them was 

To make one cry, "My sweetheart — dear. 1 '* 

Then came a bee, a honey bee, 

'Twas hunting sweetness, rich and rare ; 
It saw those lovely eyes, and lit — 

And, now, ye gods, oh what a pair ! 



THE MIRAGE 51 



THE MIRAGE 

REMORSELESSLY the sun beat down, 
With all its brilliance, all its strength ; 
The sands were heated seven-fold, 

The winds were scorched, their breadth, 
their length. 

A man went halting, stumbling o'er 

The desert on that awful day, 
His canteen empty, and his tongue 

Was parched and swollen, and it lay 

A piece of lead within his throat. 

He gasped, he struggled for his breath, 
But struggling did not bring relief, 

He was within the grasp of Death. 

Just then a shim'ring light was seen 
Not far ahead of where he stood ; 

It was the glinting of a wave, 

A lake danced forth, all fringed with 
wood. 

His bleared eyes were brilliant now ; 

He ran, he shouted, "Saved ! I'm saved !" 
A new life surged in ev'ry nerve, 

His hat and hands he madly waved. 

Alas ! Alas ! he'd not rtfn far, 

Before the vision disappeared; 
His heart grew faint, and hope was dead, 

And dancing fiends drew near and 
jeered — 
'Twas a mirage ! 'Twas a mirage ! 

One day a man went stumbling 'cross 

The desert of his forlorn life, 
A sun of lonliness beat down 

Upon his soul and caused him strife. 



52 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

He was a discontented man, 
No one had he to share his ills ; 

He felt that he would rather die 

Than keep a pace that hurts and kills. 

Just then a creature crossed his path. 
The lovliest thing he'd ever seen ; 

He lost his heart, he sought her ou't, 
And hope within his soul did beam. 

She seemed an angel, just fresh from 
The realms of bliss, and oh, that face 

Was most bewitching, it was fair. 
Her ev'ry move the soul of grace. 

She was the vision of his dreams, 
Her garments were of supreme taste. 

Nothing more could be desired, 
Not e'er a hair was out of place. 

He married her. O happy day ! 

Such eves, such form, — 'twas quite divine! 
Such symmetry ! Such order there 

From head to foot, in ev'ry line. 

But the next morning when he 'woke 
And viewed her 'fore she was made up, — 

Disheveled hair and sleepy eyes, 

When all was in a grand hub-bub, — 

His heart sank low, his breath came hard. 
His vision, angel, dreamy thing 

Had vanished in a film of air; 

His heart then had no song to sing. 

Twas a mirage! Twas a mirage! 

And when she looked at him, unshaved 
And collarless and still uncombed, 

She shut her eyes and gave a groan. 

Her heart sank, too, and she was grieved 

Because it wasn't a mirage. 



ARIZONY, A QUEER PLACE 53 



ARIZONY. A QUEER PLACE 

OH, listen to my little ditty! 
I've just been down to Arizony, 
And what I saw and heard and felt there 
Is known to those alone who've dw T elt there. 

Well, Arizony's quite a place; 
I'm glad I got back with my face, 
For many a man has gone that way, 

And now awaits the Judgment Day. 

In Arizony it gets hot; 

Men lie, who say that it does not ; 

Hens, boiled eggs for people lay — 
Soft in the morn ; bard at midday. 

The cows give sweet milk at the dawn, 
But buttermilk a few hours on. 
Refrigerated meat and such 

Make hot tomales by a touch. 

The preadhers don't stalk much of hell, 
Because they fear the people'd tell 
Their neighbors 'bout that cooler clime, 

And all would rush there 'fore their time. 

Old Arizony's quite a place; 

The moonshine freckles, tans one's face ; 

The rivers sleep beneath their beds, 
And toads have horns upon their heads. 

The desert's barren, but >the soil, 

If watered, richly repays toil. 

Small rabbits into jacks do leap 
By breathing dust and drinking deep. 

And earthworms that the soil doth roam. 

Finding therein food and a home, 

If irrigated by the rains. 
Develop for themselves fair brains. 



54 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

And bees that spend much time outdoors, 
Where sunshine fiercely on them pours, 
Are changed — and this is no lie — 

Become part bee and part firefly. 

And so their owner profits make. 
For they are always quite awake, 
And work by day and by the night 

Because they carry their own light. 

And strawberries, if grafted neat 
On milk weed and a sugar beet. 
Will for the grafters — 'tis no dream — 

Yield sugar, berries, and rich cream. 

Now this is what they told me there, 

I'd not deny it — did not dare, 

For Arizony's a queer place 
In products, ways and human race. 



LOVE'S DREAM SHATTERED 55 



LOVE'S DREAM SHATTERED 

"Fleas breed and thrive in the sands of the 
sea shore." 



THE sea was tranquil, and the moon 
Silvered the crest of the waves. 
A soft-voiced wind made love to the trees, 
And sans: of true love in the caves. 



A maiden quite fair with tresses quite rare. 
Sat on the shore, and looked and listened. 

Her lover sat near, and feasted on her 
His eyes till they sparkled and glistened. 

Her beautiful tresses had slipped, 
And framed of her beautiful eyes 

A picture that he'll not forget, 
Though past him a century flies. 

They sat in the sand, and he knew 

That he loved her, he loved her, true; 

But how could he tell her, and find 
If hope lay back of those eyes so blue? 

By way of suggestion he built 
A cottage of sticks and of sand ; 

She took it all in at a glance, 
And he took hold of her hand. 



Till then self-possession she'd shown — 
A calmness that drove him 'most wild ; 

But now she was nervous, confused, 

And his heart — oh, it danced like a child. 



56 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

"J love you ! I love you !" he cried, 

"< )h, won't you be mine, my dear heart' 

Your nervous condition gives hope; 
Oh say the word, yes ; not, depart." 

She looked at him coldly. He froze. 

"Get up," she said, "up from your knees! 
My nervousness is not from love, 

It's caused by the fleas! Oh, the fleas!" 



BE DAUNTED NOT 57 



BE DAUNTED NOT 

BE daunted not 
Because there is so much to do, 
And so little time in which 
To do it ; 

Nor yet because there is so much to learn, 
And so little time in which 
To learn it : 

But spring to your task, and stick 
And you will 
Do it, do it! 



58 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



SILVER LININGS 

AND darkness covered all the deep; 
J\ The earth was void and without form 
Until God spoke those magic words, 

"Let there be light," and light was born. 

Then God established for all time 
The order of the night and day ; 

'Tis not the night that follows light, 
But light that drives the night away. 

So 'twas ordained when things began, 
And so 'twill be until the close ; 

Light is the master of the night; 
Light will conquer all its foes. 

In the beginning darkness reigned ; 

Now, follows a procession of 
Days hard upon the heels of night, 

And night's forever on the move. 

In that Great Day when comes the end, 

All darkness will forever flee, 
For it is written in God's word, 

"There'll be no night, there'll be no sea." 

But even now there is no night 
That's wholly dark. It is relieved 

By rays of stars, by rays of moon — 
More numerous than we've believed. 

'Tis only he who's blind, who walks 
In total darkness night or day; 

He who has eyes to see will see 
At least some light along his way. 

Oh, is this order that God's made 
For light and darkness in the earth 

Also the order of man's life 

That reigns until 'the end from birth? 



SILVER LININGS 59 

Is human destiny, with all 

Its shadows and its sunny hours, 

An ever forward movement toward 
Eternal light, unfolding powers? 

And are there no hours wholly dark? 

Is there some light somewhere about, 
Some ray of bright encouragement 

If we but search 'to find it out? 

Aye ! Aye ! 'tis only he who wills 
To close his eyes and grope his way, 

Who finds life only dull and dark — 
Whose heart ne'er sounds a roundelay. 

There is some light ; indeed, there's much — 
Much more than we may realize — 

Of brightness in the darkest hours, 
Of silver in the sodden skies. 

Then let our hearts be filled with cheer, 
Give faith and hope a strong, swift wing; 

Be not cast down, be not o'ercome 
By anything ! by anything ! 



60 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



THE CANTALOUPE HERDER 

This poem was suggested by a story in 
The Man From Yesterday, by Mr. Will H. 
Robinson. 



BOOTED and spurred and mounted well, 
A man rode down the town's main 
street ; 
Trapped-out was he with all the gear 
That makes a cow-boy, head to feet. 

A tenderfoot accosted him 

And asked if he a cow-boy were ; 

"Well, yes and no." the man replied, 
"I used to punch the cattle, sir. 

But sinc*e the farmers have begun 

To raise them cantaloupes, by gad! 
I've gone to herding them. I have, 

And it's the roughest work I've had." 

"Not herding cantaloupes, my man!" 

The tenderfoot with warmth exclaimed, 

"You mean you're herding antelopes — 
Your work you surely have mis-named." 

"No, 1 have not mis-named my work; 

1 said exactly what I mean ; 
I'm herding cantaloupes, and it's 

Far more exciting than 'twould seem." 

"Well, tell me, pray, what need there is 
Of herding cantaloupes out here? 

I think I must not understand 

The terms you use — they seem so queer!" 



THE CANTALOUPE HERDER 61 

"Well, if you'd see me at my work, 
You very soon would understand 

The nature of the work I do, 

And also something of the land. 

"To do the work I have to do 
Requires a horse of fleetest foot, 

A rider also who can throw 

A rope just where it should be put. 

"You see, the soil's so rich and strong, 
And vines grow at a rate so fast 

That melons run out of the field, 

And must be roped." the herder gasped. 

"That's what we herders have to do, 
And let me tell you without frills. 

It takes hard riding to catch them 

When they get started toward the hills." 



62 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME 

OUT there in that Arizona 
They will tell you there's no rain. 
But "upon a midnight dreary 
While I pondered, weak and weary. 
Suddenly there came a tapping, 
As of some one gently rapping, 
Rapping at my chamber door," 
'Twas merely rain and 
Nothing more. 

It was raining still at sunrise. 
It was raining when it set, 
And the night and day that followed 
Were o'er hung with clouds so solid 
That the stars and moon and sun, sir, 
Never showed their faces once, sir ! 
When I raved and when I swore, 

Quoth the native, 
"Ne'er before!" 

"Well, perhaps this is the first time," 
Said I in a doubtful tone; 
Then the native eyed me dove-like. 
So honestly and love-like. 
Seemed so hurt to think I'd doubted, 
But he was by no means routed. 
"If it has been thus before," 

Quoth the native, 
"Nevermore !" 



THE VALLEY OF THE SALT 63 



THE VALLEY OF THE SALT 

LYING 'neath a great blue dome, and 
j Walled by mountains all around 
Rests a Valley, newly found. 

Round about is a great desert, 
Bleak and barren as can be, 
Like a rolling storm-tossed sea. 

Once a part of this great desert, 
Was the Valley of the Salt, 
But it's now a treasure vault. 

Grim, deserted, and forbidding, 
Undisturbed, it lay at rest, 
Yielding nothing that is best. 

Naught but Red Skins trailed across it 
And the wild things which they sought, 
But they gave it not a thought. 

Thus in desolation lay it 

Wailing, yearning for a hand 
That would touch it with a wand. 

Weary, weary was the waiting, 

Moons and moons waxed full and waned, 
Still its solitude remained. 

Then the white man, pressing westward, 
On its mountain borders stood 
And beheld that it was good. 

Stopped he here and lit his camp-fire, 
Pitched his tent and ceased to roam, 
Broke the soil and made a home. 



64 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

Brought he then the limped water, 
Quenched the Valley's burning thirst, 
And its bonds of dryness burst. 

To his magic touch the Valley 
Smiled and blossomed like a rose. 
And with richness now o'erflows. 

Farms and homes and hamlets, cities. 
Sheep and cattle, hay and wheat, 
Thrive now where was once mesquite. 

Happy, thrifty, are the people, 
Moving forward without halt. 
In the Valley of the Salt. 



WHY? 65 



WHY? 

CAN you tell me? Do you know- 
Why a boy will run away 
And swim in mud holes full of filth, 
And say he's had a perfect day? 

But ask him just to wash his face 
In water that is fresh and clean. 

And he will whine and put it off 
As if abused, as if you're mean. 

Can you tell me why our Joe 

Will work for Neighbor So-and-So 

Every minute of the day 

Without a pain or stub of toe? 

\nd why when working round his home, 
Although his pay is just the same. 

He squanders half or more his time 
And never fails to turn up lame. 

He gets a pain in his hind legs; 

The sun's so hot it makes him faint ; 
The tools are never fit to use. 

They'd try the patience of a saint. 

Now can you tell me why it's thus? 

Why boys will wallow like a pig? 
And suffer so from work at home, 

Although they're healthy, strong and big? 

It is a queer philosophy, 

That seems to have them in its hold : 
It was not so when we were boys, 

Nor will it be when they get old. 



66 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



YOU LAUGHED AT US 

YOU laughed at us some years ago 
When we full statehood sought. 
Such thing you deemed ridiculous ; 
Absurd, the very thought. 

"What! Arizona a full state? 

The equal of the likes of us? 
With men in Congress with a vote? 

Perish the thought ! Preposterous ! 

' 'Twere almost the equivalent 
Of taking Satan and his hord 

Into the counsels of the Blest 

With open arms, acclaimed, adored." 

At first you tried to tie us up 

With that New Mexico; 
To make us tail to fly her fter kite. 

But we'd not have it so. 

We wanted statehood by ourselves, 
And if you thought you'd find 

Us willing to be under dog, 
You didn't know our kind. 

We do not play a second horn 

In anybody's band; 
We play the lead, we head the line, 

That's where we take our stand. 

At last, we came to be a state, 
Full-fledged and all alone, 

And we've moved forward at a rate 
That tells of sinew, brain and bone. 



YOU LAUGHED AT US 67 

Our churches, schools, our banks, our laws, 
Our farms, our mines, our timber land, 

Our men, our women, and our homes 
Command respeOt on ev'ry hand. 

Who laughs at Arizona now? 

Not they who see or read or know. 
""Pis only they who're ignorant 

Or they who are our foe. 



68 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



THE GOOD OLD DAYS 

THE good old days, the good old days! 
Alas ! alas ! are going — gone ! 
And Arizona's dead, by jing — 

We set about and stretch and yawn. 

'Tain't like it was a few years back 
When I first hit the Lost Gulch trail. 

And wandered into camp at dusk, 
And found the people mostly male. 

There won't no p'licemen and the like 
A-hangin' round and buttin' in. 

And cuttin' down one's liberties 
As there is now ; it is a sin. 

A high-toned yap from way back East,, 
With notions wholly out of date, 

( )nce pompously came into camp, 
And started to reform our gait. 

Well, he just went to sleep one day. 

And his alarm forgot to set, 
And if you go way up the gulch, 

You'll find him there. He's sleepin' yet. 

Oh, them was days worth livin' in ! 

For somethin' went on every night, 
And when the pay-day came around, 

The goin's-on were out of sight. 

But now, by heck, it all is changed, 
Old Arizony's gone to smash ; 

The bottom's dropped clean out of her; 
Things have been queered — she's lost her 
dash. 



THE GOOD OLD DAYS 69 

A lot of new laws have been made; 

In fact, we've fallen into ruts, 
. \nd every thing's went to the dogs, 

There's nothin' doin' — well, not much. 

But sometimes us old-timers yet 

Get things warmed up and goin' some, 

But hole smoke ! 'tain't like it was — 
'Tis just a shadder of real fun. 

Why. sir, they've drove the gamblers out. 

And wont allow a "lady" to 
Go in saloons — and all such rot; 

Xow what the deuce we goin' to do? 

A man can't tote a shootin' iron, 

With which to shoot a little meat ; 
Nor darsent take all he can drink, 

Unless he's steady on his feet. 

Now what's the use of gettin' drunk. 
Unless you get drunk through and 
through? 

A man whose feet are sober hain't 

Had more'n half enough. What say you? 

I'm gettin' mighty tired of this 

Curtailin' of one's liberty, 
Of tellin' him how much to drink. 

And what he can and cannot be. 



70 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



THE SUNSET 

NO wonder men of old fell down, 
And worshiped at the shrine 
Of heaven's sun, — majestic orb! — 
And thought it quite divine. 

I feel like bowing low myself 
When evening's falling round, 

And God's great painter sweeps his brush 
Where sky and clouds abound. 

In presence of the setting sun 

When it goes down sublime, 
I feel myself uplifted high, 

And separate from time. 

Behold ! ye artists, poets, all, — 

Behold ! and be inspired. 
Let Nature teach, and Nature hold, 

When other things have tired. 

No wonder men of old fell down, 

And worshiped at the shrine 
Of heaven's sun, — majestic orb! — 

And thought it quite divine. 



A COLD HEART 71 



A COLD HEART 

BREATHES there a man with soul so 
dead, 
Who never to a girl hath said, 
"You are my darling, sweetheart, love, 
My angel, life, and turtle dove?" 
If so, if so, go mark him well, 
For he is fully capable 
Of treason, stratagems, and all 
The crimes that any can recall. 

Breathes there a man with soul so dead? 
Let him at restaurants be fed, 
And when his buttons are detached, 
Pin up his clothes and be hard scratched. 
Let him wear socks that are not darned — 
Except by words — let him be warned ! 
Breathes there a man with soul so dead? 
He should be sockless, scratched, unfed. 

Go forth, and on him put this seal : 

Do not molest, let no one steal, 

For one whose heart's so cold — oh well ! 

With marble statues ought to dwell; 

And when his indigestion's bad 

(As it will be), and he is sad, 

Then to the statue let him go 

And find cold comfort for his woe. 



72 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



ROOM ! ROOM ! 

ROOM ! room ! God give me room ! 
Room to breathe, to think, to do ! 
1 hate to be a duplicate, 
A copy, echo, or such thing. 

]f faces two are not alike. 
Nor voices, steps, not thumbs. 
God must have meant that each of us 
Should from the rest be different 
In thought and action and in life. 

He says we're sons, not slaves, 
Which means that we have liberty! 
Then why should any man be bound 
By customs or traditions old. 
On what his neighbor does? 
The present is his sphere, his throne. 
And from the past it's different ; 
And he himself the doer, 
Who must live and suffer — or rejoice. 

Thrust not upon me then your views, 
Whose only argument in favor of 
Is "it used to be, it used to be." 
It "used to be" that many men 
Believed the earth was motionless, 
And that the stars fixed destiny. 
And in the "used to be," some men were 

wrong 
About the things they thought were right 
(And maybe we are wrong today). 
But I will not be bound in thought 
By what the past has said, 
Nor hampered by the present. 

All grists must go through my own mill, 
And bear my stamp, "approved," 
For it is better one should think, 
And find himself gone wide the mark, 
Than not to think at all. 



ROOM! ROOM! 



To be a mere automaton. 
And follow beaten paths 
May be by far the easier way 
And safest — who will say? — 
But I would rather blaze a trail, 
And sooner far get lost 
And wander round for days and days 
Than merely do what others do, 
And wear their yoke and bear its gall. 

I'd sooner be a pioneer. 
And cut the underbrush. 
And feel the thorn and brier's scratch 
Than follow after when it's done, 
And loll in ease, a figure-head, 
A thoughtless thing, a parasite. 

I hate to be a copy 
( )f what's around or gone before. 
I want to feel I'm justified 
When writing down my name, 
To start it with a capital, 
Which signifies that I'm distinct 
From every other man. 

Room ! room for my own self to grow 
According to its elements ! 
Room ! room for breath and thought and act ! 
Room ! room ! God give me room, 
And let me be mv own true self. 



74 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



LAWS OF THE SOUTHWEST 

THE two great laws of the Southwest 
That every man must know and keep 
If he would hold his soul on earth, 
And save himself from sorrow, deep, 
Are these (now mark them well) : The first, 
Mind your own business, — all, not part, — 
And like unto it is the next, 
Do not at any time get smart. 



THE COLONEL 75 



THE COLONEL 

THE Colonel was a dried-up man ; 
A gruff and sour old man was he ; 
With all his neighbors he had quarreled, 
And friendly, he'd not let them be. 

The Colonel had a squeaky voice, 
And through his nose his words he'd 
drawl, 

And add to certain words he used 
An extra sound, a syllable. 

For instance, Colonel had a mare 

Whose name was Sal, just plain old Sal, 

But Colonel called her Sal-en-uh, 
In field, or street, or in corral. 

This speech of his was very queer, 
And youngsters would him often mock 

Just for the fun of hearing him 
Cuss them with his peculiar talk. 

Sometimes he'd chase them just as far 
As his old stiffened, wobbly pegs 

Would carry him ; but 'twas no use 
To try to catch their swift young legs. 

An Ishmaelite the Colonel was ; 

He'd quarrel about the slightest thing 
With neighbor or with boy or girl 

Or horse or cow or anything. 

One day the Colonel and old Sal 

Were plowing corn down by the creek ; 

She stepped upon some half-grown stalks, 
And Colonel did some bad words speak. 



76 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

Into a passion he did fly, 

And, of his temper, words were born, 
Which we shall not attempt to tell — 

About her stepping on the corn. 

"You Sal-en-uh! You Sal-en-uh !" 

He yelled like one who'd lost his sense, 

"I'll bust your old hide open wide 
When we get out to that rail fence." 

And when they came to that rail fence, 
The Colonel's plans for busting Sal 

Were fully formed. They were unique, 
Indeed, they were original. 

He'd climb up to the topmost rail 
And spring far up into the air, 

And then come down with all his weight 
Upon the back of the old mare. 

And thus he'd almost break her back; 

He'd make her grunt, he'd make her 
groan. 
l^e'd kno<5k her insides out of place 

And jar her loose in ev'ry bone. 

Well, to the topmost rail he climbed. 
And sprang far up into the air, 

But when he came down from his flight, 
Sal wasn't there, she wasn't there. 

She stepped aside when he leaped up. 

And down he came clear to the ground; 
It jarred his innards, wrenched his bones; 

He hadn't breath to make a sound. 

He gasped and writhed and fought for 
breath 

Until, at length, it came once more; 
And then he gathered up himself, 

That bruised and battered and that sore, 



THE COLONEL 



That all the fight was gone from him. 

He limped off toward the house in pain, 
And Sal walked solemnly behind, 

As if it were a fun'ral train. 

But Sal-en-uh no mourner was, 
Despite her solemn attitude. 

In fact, she secretly rejoiced 

At Colonel's downfall and his mood. 



78 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



TEMPE 

I^EMPE is a little city, 
But she has a wide renown ; 
She exerts a potent influence 
In every hamlet, city, town. 

Tempe holds within her hand-clasp 

More of Arizona's weal 
Than any other of our cities — 

All to her must humbly kneel. 

It is here the State's great Normal 

Institution, day and night, 
Works to turn out skilful teachers 

For our schools, the State's delight. 

Teachers that go forth with power, 
Here and yon and everywhere, 

Power to shape the whole State's future — 
Have a care ! Oh, have a care ! 

To you, Tempe, we are looking 

For the noblest, for the best, 
For that kind of man and woman 

That will meet the highest test. 

Men and women who think nobly, 

Who see life not as a jest, 
Who are worthy and true-hearted, 

Who move forward with a zest. 

Shall we look in vain, O Tempe? 

No ! We have firm confidence 
That you're true to your commission, 

Now, and will be ever hence. 



SALT RIVER VALLEY 79 



SALT RIVER VALLEY 

BEAUTIFUL valley of sunshine! 
Home of the orange and grapevine ; 
Land of alfalfa and cotton — 
Beautiful valley of sunshine ! 

Silken winds journeying slowly. 
Water abundantly streaming. 

Soil of great depth and great richness — 
Beautiful valley a-gleaming! 

Happy and thrifty the people. 
Droning no song of resentment, 

Abundance crowning their labors — 
Beautiful in its contentment ! 

Beautiful, beautiful Valley ! 

Manifold is its fruition, 
Throbbing with life and with visions — 

Beautiful is its ambition ! 



80 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



KEEPING AWAKE IN CHURCH 

HAVE you heard of Greek Prometheus, 
Who was chained fast to a rock, 
And left there among the mountains 
Where the starving vultures flock? 

Daily came a sharp-billed vulture, 

And it daily gnawed its way 
Deep into his quiv'ring vitals 

While he, bound and helpless, lay. 

Night restored again his vitals, 
But with light, the bird of prey 

Came again unto his feasting; 

Thus went the night, thus the day. 

Have you heard how Red Skins torture 

Pris'ners taken in a raid? 
How they tie them in an ant bed 

When there's ne'er escape or aid? 

Insects crawling, insects eating, 

With no moment of surcease 
Till the hand of Death in mercy 

Breaks the bonds and gives release. 

Of these tortures I've no doubt but 
You have heard with harrowed soul; 

You have shrunk in horror from them. 
Prayed protection from such goal. 

But I'll now a story tell you 
That drives terror to my soul — 

Terror greater than Prometheus' — 
Greater than an insect's hole. 

It's about one Sunday morning 

When the earth the sun did bake — 

How I went to church with Mary, 
How I tried to keep awake. 



KEEPING AWAKE IN CHURCH 81 

Have you ever had a spell of 
Sleeping when you sat in church? 

Then I need't try to tell you 

How the devils wield the birch — 

How your eyelids droop in spite of 

Every effort you put forth — 
How your head gets out of balance, 

Pitching south and pitching north. 

How you'd give your rare belongings, 
House and lands and money, too. 

And almost your hope of heaven 
For a bed instead of pew. 

How you feel as if you're drowning! 

Sinking, sinking 'neath the wave! 
Not a straw for you to grasp at, 

Not a hand stretched out to save. 

Oh that struggle! 'Tis heart rending! 

Terror gleams within the eye ! 
Fiendish faces dance before you ! 

It were easier to die. 

O ye gods! for just one moment's 
Rest within the land of dreams ! 

Just one moment of ecstatic 

Floating 'mong the moon's soft beams! 

Thus it was that Sunday morning 

That sleep did me overtake; 
Thus I felt and thus I suffered 

As I tried to keep awake. 

Up until that Sunday morning 
Wife and I had lived in peace; 

But that day came very nearly 
Causing that blest state to cease. 



§1 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

Ev'ry time I fell to dozing, 

And just crossed the borderland, 

She would nudge me with her elbow 
In the ribs. Or with her hand 

She would touch me where I'm ticklish, 
And from heaven bring me back 

To an agony and torture 
Worse than lying on a rack. 

Weep not, then, for Greek Prometheus ; 

Weep not for the Red Skin's prey ; 
Rather weep for him who's sleepy; 

Weep for him whose wife says, "nay." 

Take my wife and take my children, 
Break my heart and let me weep, 

Tf you'll only let me slumber, 
When in church I want to sleep. 



PRESCOTT 83 



PRESCOTT 

IF you like a perfect climate 
When the summer's at its blast, 
If you like to get a smile on 

That for weeks and weeks will last, 
Go to Prescott ! Go to Prescott ! 

If you like an elevation, 

That's a mile up in the skies, 

With its energy, enthralling, 
And its cheering enterprise, 

Go to Prescott ! Go to Prescott ! 

If you wish to see a city 

That is beautiful, that's fair, 

With a setting in the mountains 
That's exquisite, that is rare, 

Go to Prescott ! Go to Prescott ! 

If you find the summer sultry, 
If by heat you are oppressed, 

If your energy has oozed out, 
If your life has lost its zest, 

Go to Prescott ! Go to Prescott ! 

If your joints are rough and stiffened. 
If your musdles lag at work, 

If your brain is fagged and weary, 
If your nerves have too much jerk. 

Go to Prescott ! Go to Prescott ! 

If you want an outdoors handy 
That inspires the brush or pen, 

If you like to go and rest where 
You will want to go again, 

Go to Prescott ! Go ot Prescott ! 

Prescott has the healing sunshine, 

Prescott has the balmy air 
And the mountains and the pine trees, 

Antedotes for ills and care. 
Go to Prescott ! Go to Prescott ! 



84 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



WHAT MAKES ARIZONA FAMOUS 

THE tin can and old baling wire, 
The tin-horn and the cheerful liar. 
And water that is known as fire. 

And men disowned by friends and sire — 
These once made Arizona famous. 

But now its fame rests on the rate 
The railroads charge for fare and freight 

And on the way the boosters prate 
About the future of the state — 

These now make Arizona famous. 



SKY TRAILS 85 



SKY TRAILS 

IN olden days the two chief routes, 
By which men left the Territory, 
Were known as "Sky Trails," and were 
built 
( )f lead, of hemp ; so runs the story. 

And it is said by those who know, 

That travel on these routes was quicker 
Than any other in the land, 

And tickets furnished without dicker. 



86 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



WINTER IN THE SOUTHWEST 



UP from the Southland, 
Crossing the desert, 
Warmed by a sunlight 
That leaves no raw edges, 
There come those soft breezes 
Throughout the whole winter 
That make of our Southwest 
A paradise truly. 

We read of wild blizzards 
That cut like sharp daggers, 
Of snow storms and freezes 
That sweep with their fierceness 
The homes of our neighbors 
That lie all around us. 

We read of these things, but 
We scarcely believe them, 
For here in our Southwest, 
Tis sunshine and brightness, 
'Tis soft winds and gentle, 
'Tis flowers and green fields 
W r herever man plants them, 
And winter, sweet winter 
Is full of earth's blessings. 

O glorious Southwest! 
O winters, ideal ! 
Here life is worth living. 
Here in this blest region, 
Here in this great out-doors 
Where frost is sweet tempered — 
Here life is a pleasure, 
Here is a great treasure, 
Here's joy without measure. 



WINTER IN THE SOUTHWEST 87 

Who says that our Southwest 
By God was forgotten? 
He's out of his mind, and 
He's talking at random ; 
He's chilled at the heart by 
An internal frost nip. 

Forgotten ? Forgotten ? 
No ! 'tis an illusion ; 
God's smile is upon us. 
And out of his coffers 
Flow streams of great riches 
Throughout the whole winter. 

Who says we're forgotten? 
If he will come hither, 
Away from his freezes 
And snow storms and blizzards — 
Away from bleak days and 
The skies that are sunless. 
One day of our beautiful 
Southwestern winter, 
That's better'n a thousand 
That may be found elsewhere, 
\\ ill prove to him plainly 
That we're the remembered. 

Bright Southwestern winter! 
We hail thee, we love thee, 
We would not exchange thee 
Thy soft going breezes, 
Thy skies that are cloudless, 
Thy sunshine and brightness, 
Thy flowers and green fields, 
Thy bird songs and bee hums — 
O Southwestern winter! 
We would not exchange thee 
For any that's offered 
By lands that surround us; 
You yield us a pleasure 
That's joy beyond measure. 



88 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



THE TYPISTS 

TWO maidens, fair, with darksome hair, 
Ticked off these lines on a machine ; 
To them we owe our thanks, and so 
We write it here where 't can he seen. 

These maidens fair, with darksome hair, 
Are types of that great host of girls 

Who're to the fore and at the core 
Of business where it seeths and whirls. 

In former days, the men had ways 
Of thinking they could run affairs, 

And lorded it for quite a bit 

( )'er womankind, like grizzly bears. 

But Oh, dear me! what now we see 
Is man set back in second place ; 

And women are, both near and far, 
Holding the reins, winning the race. 

Where e'er you go, you find it so: 
Connected with all great success. 

You're sure to find that back behind 
It is some woman's wariness. 

If men do not guard well their lot. 

The girls and women, at a leap. 
Will take the earth and all its worth. 

And men will work for board and keep. 



OVERDRAWN 89 



OVERDRAWN 

I drew a check upon the bank, 
I '.ut very soon it was returned, 
Marked, "Insufficient funds to pay."' 

Chagrined was I, and my cheeks burned. 

I needed money, Oh, so bad ! 

And frankly told the bankers so. 
But they declined to pay the check. 

And 1 was left to face my woe. 

And I am wondering now if when 
I come to my last day on earth, 

And draw my check on Heaven's bank 
To pay for passage and a berth 

Upon the ferry that runs 'cross 

The stream between death's night and 
Dawn, 

If it will come back and be marked, 
"Much overdrawn, much overdrawn." 

I'm wond'ring if the treasures that 
I've laid up in that World Beyond, 

Will gain for me admission there, 
Or if my wife must go my bond. 



90 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



OVER THE RANGE 

THE sun hung low in the western sky, 
And the frescoed clouds were blazing 
with glory ; 
The winds in the pine trees were singing a 

song, 
And a whippoorwill whistled away down 
the creek, 
As if he were telling his mate a glad story. 

But up on the mountainside, in our old camp, 
That stood just beside the hole where we 
were trying 
To strike the pay dirt that would make us 

both rich, 
No gladness was there, for my old pard Bill, 
Who with me had been through thick and 
thin — was dying. 

We had grub-staked together for years and 

years ; 
We'd followed the call and the lure of 

gold 
( )'er mountain and desert, through cold and 

heat, 
Through burning thirst, and with frozen 

feet, 
So long and so far that we now had grown 

old. 

But the passion remained, though the gods 
had denied 
Us a strike of the metal that warms a 
man's heart, 
And maybe — who knows? perhaps it's as 

well, 
For many's the man that a strike's sent to 
hell, 
And many a friendship it's broken apart. 



OVER THE RANGE , 21 

But now we have come to the parting of 
ways, 
And Bill is a-hitting the trail for that range 
That screens from our vision the Land of 

the Dead. 
There all men are judged for their deeds, so 
it's said, 
And soon he will pass in his checks for 
exchange. 

Well, here it is to you, my old partner, Bill, 
I'm watching you go up the long, steep 
hill. 
And I will go with you as far as I can. 
You need have no fear, you've been a 
square man. 
You've played the game fairly, that's 
what you have, Bill. 

The camp-fire is dying; I'll throw on some 
wood ; 
I think that will warm you— What's this? 
A change? 
You're breathing some easier now, old pard. 
Perhaps you'll stay with me, my good 
trump-card — 
Bill !_ O Bill !— My God ! Bill's over the 
rans:e. 



92 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 



RENOWN 

A rubber band that's stretched just once 
Is never so small again, 
And the harder its stretched, and the longer 
its held. 
The larger it will remain. 

And so it is with man and his life; 

If he strains himself to grasp what's big., 
He'll never be so little again, 

Nor will he among the shallows dig. 

And the harder he strains to grasp what's 
big. 
.And the longer he holds himself hard 
there, 
The bigger he will forever be, 
And for bigger things he'll care. 

Hut he who satisfies himself with what 

Is trivial and easy gained 
Will he himself be trivial, 

Weak-kneed, and rattle-brained. 

Strength comes to him who pulls for it, 
Who lifts a weight that bends him down, 

Who grasps the big, the way-up-high, 
And holds him there — thus comes renown. 



THE ROUND-UP 93 



THE ROUND-UP 

IN that Round-up of the ages 
When men come from sea and land, 
And shall be in bunches gathered, 

Who'll get you? What is your brand? 

For the Lake of Brimstone outfit, 
Foreman Lucifer will be on hand ; 

And the Pearly Gates concern'll 

Have their Gabriel head the band. 

Therefore while you're yet out ranging, 
Browsing here and browsing there, 

i letter think about the round-up — 
How you'll feel and how you'll fare. 

If you're running with old Satan's 
Herd and grazing- on his range, 

He will get you in the round up, 
Sure is that. There'll be no change. 

It won't be no use to stampede 
Or break out, — dismiss such hopes, — 

For the Devil's cow-boys, surely, 
Will o'ertake you with their ropes. 

'Tain't no use to change your ear-marks, 
Or to try to blot your brand ; 

They will show up in the round-up. 
And your owner'll be on hand. 

fie will ship you 'cross the border 
To the slaught'ring pens of hell, 

\nd what then to you will happen, 
Who can tell? Oh, who can tell? 



94 ARIZONA SUNSHINE 

THE SQUAW-MAN 

AN Indian woman lay dying', 
i\ The wife of a white man was she ; 
To him she'd been true in her Indian way, 
And to her he had been what he ought 
to be. 

Despite the taunts that men sometimes 

Had thrown at him in ridicule, 
And urged him to cast her away with a 
fling, 

As a man would do with an out-worn tool. 

And take him a wife of the white man's 
breed — 
Despite what they said and the more that 
they thought, 
He made her a home and was kind in his 
ways, 
For her love he had won, and her soul he 
had bought. 

A wild thing she was when he followed her 
trail 
And snared her with words that were low 
and were sw r eet, 
And fair was her face, and attractive her 
form — 
The fairest a man, in her tribe, would e'er 
meet. 

And now she lay dying; he sat at her side ; 
The hours were but few before they must 
part ; 
Her love for him welled up and shone in her 
eyes, 
And he thanked his God he'd not broken 
her heart. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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